Rare Gray Whale Spotted in the Atlantic for the First Time in Over 200 Years

Climate change and reduced Arctic ice are believed to have enabled the whale's passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic, marking a significant sighting.

A gray whale, thought to be extinct in the Atlantic for over 200 years, was spotted off the coast of Nantucket, marking a rare and significant sighting.
The whale's presence in the Atlantic is attributed to climate change, with warmer global temperatures and reduced Arctic ice allowing for passage between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
This sighting is part of a pattern of increased gray whale strandings and unusual mortality events in the Pacific, possibly due to a decline in prey.
Researchers believe the gray whale seen near Nantucket is the same individual observed off the coast of Florida in December.
The return of gray whales to the Atlantic could have both positive and negative implications for the species, including new feeding opportunities and risks associated with unfamiliar territories.